The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has intensified, with rival factions loyal to Nyesom Wike and Taminu Turaki laying claim to the party’s leadership and governorship candidacy ahead of the June 20 election.
The Turaki-led faction has insisted it remains the authentic leadership of the party in the state, presenting Wole Oluyede as its governorship candidate. Speaking on behalf of the group, State Chairman Tunji Odeyemi maintained that their mandate, obtained on October 1, 2025, remains valid, noting that no court judgment has dissolved their executive.
Odeyemi further referenced a Federal High Court ruling which he said affirmed Oluyede as the PDP candidate and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise him. He described the congress conducted by the rival faction as unconstitutional and a distraction from the party’s preparations for the poll.
However, the Wike-backed faction, led by State Chairman Lanre Omolase, dismissed the claims, insisting that the PDP in Ekiti has not recognised any governorship candidate.
Omolase argued that a Court of Appeal judgment had already settled the leadership dispute by recognising the Abduraham Mohammed-led National Caretaker Committee, thereby invalidating the Turaki faction’s structure. He added that the Turaki-led State Working Committee had earlier been dissolved before a fresh congress produced the current executive.
In a statement jointly signed by Omolase and the party’s Publicity Secretary, Femi Phillips, the faction stressed that Oluyede’s purported candidacy had not been processed or endorsed by any duly constituted organ of the party.
“The PDP in Ekiti State has not formally received any aspirant, let alone endorsed a gubernatorial candidate,” the statement read.
The faction also emphasised that all political ambitions must follow due process as enshrined in the party’s constitution, noting that there has been no official record of Oluyede’s participation in recognised party activities.
The lingering leadership tussle highlights deepening divisions within the PDP in Ekiti State, raising concerns over the party’s unity and readiness as the governorship election draws closer.
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